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N. Z. REOM. FIRE LADDER APPARATUS.

No. 558,986. Patented Apr. 28, 1896.

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3 Sheets--Sheefi 2.

N. Z. REOM. FIRE LADDER APPARATUS.

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Patented Apr. 28, 1896.

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N. Z. REOM. TIRE LADDER APPARATUS.

Patented Apr. 2, 1?,6. 5

AN DREW EGRAHAM. PNUTO-UTHQWASNINGTON, D G.

V 5 viewed in the direction of the arrow.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NELSON Z. REOM, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, OF ONE-HALF TO COTTON BROS. & CO, OF SAME PLACE.

FIRE-LADDER APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,986, dated April 28, 1896. 7

Application filed March 29, 1895. Renewed January 31, 1896. Serial No. 577,635. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

,Be it known that I, NELSON Z. REOM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Ladder Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of said invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it most nearly appertains to make, use, and practice the same.

The present invention relates to a certain new and useful fire-ladder apparatus, and more especially to the manner of raising and lowering the ladders, whereby the same may be raised and adjusted to any given height, as will be hereinafter fully set forth in the drawings and described and pointed out in the specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective mechanism for raising and lowering the ladders and for swinging the same from side to side in order that the ladders, after being extended to the required height, may be thrown against a building on either side of the street without changing the position of the apparatus.

In order to fully comprehend myinvention, reference must be had to the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a front side elevation of the apparatus, showing the ladders closed and lowered to a horizontal position. Fig. 2 is a top plan of the mechanism disclosed by Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear side elevation of the mechanism set forth in Fig. 1, the ladders being broken away and the running-gear removed. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectionalend view in elevation, taken on line x a, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side view in elevation, showing the ladders and guide-supports extended. Fig. 6 is an end view of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. Fig.

7 is a detail cross-sectional view of the ladders when closed, taken on line y y, Fig. 2; and Fig. 8 is a plan view showing the ladders extended.

In the drawings, the letter A is used to indicate the bed of an ordinary truck, and A the blocks secured thereto near the forward 0 C 0 0 Figs. 2 and 7.

end, which blocks are inclined from their center toward the outer ends. Upon these blocks rest and oscillate the bed plate or block A to the under face of which block is secured the transverse rod (1, which rod rests within bearings a cut in the apex of the blocks A.

i To the oscillating plate A is secured what I shall term the supporting-frame B, which frame projects upwardly from the oscillating plate for a short distance and is held in place by the supports B. I also secure to the oscillating plate the base-block B which block at one end, is connected to the said plate A by the hinge B Figs. 3, 5, and 6. The opposite end of this base-block is provided with a projecting stud b, which fits within the slot b of the quadrant b secured to the rear face of the frame B, Figs. 1 and 3.

In my apparatus I make employment of a series of ladders, preferably four in number, These ladders are connected one to the other, and in a full-size machine will be in length about twenty-five feet each, so that the ladders when extended will form an extended ladder of about one hundred feet. The foot of the ladder O is socurely fastened to the hinged block B and to this ladder is secured the ladder O, the ladder 0 being in turn secured to the ladder O, and to the ladder C is secured the ladder 0 as will be hereinafter described.

The lower end of the ladder O is firmly secured to the base-block B hinged to the oscillating plate A In the side faces of the rails of this ladder I cut the groove or channel d, within which fit and slide the clampplates D, secured to and projecting inwardly from the lower end of the rails of the ladder O. In the side faces of the rails of the lad- 9o der 0, I cut the groove or channel d, within which fit and slide the clamp-plates D, projecting outwardly from the upper end of the rails of the ladder C. By means of these clamp-plates the ladder G is firmly secured 5 to the ladder O. From the upper end of the side rails of the ladder O outwardly project the clamp-plates D which plates embrace the ladder C the ends thereof fitting within the groove or channel (Z out within the face of the side rails of the ladder 0 while from the lower end of the side rails of said ladder inwardly project the clamp-plates D which embrace the side rails of the ladder O, the ends thereof fitting within the channel or groove d of the side rails of the said ladder C. By means of the clamp-plates D and D the ladder C is secured firmly to the ladder O. The ladder O is provided at its lower end with the projecting clamp-plates D, which plates embrace the side rails of the ladder C and work within the groove or channel 01 cut in the face of the side rails of said ladder as the ladder O is raised and lowered. From the upper end of the side rails of the ladder C project the clamp-plates D which plates embrace the side rails of the ladder O and the ends thereof fit within the groove or channel d cut in the face of the side rails of the ladder C". By means of the clamp-plates D" and D the ladder C is firmly secured to the ladder 0 It will thus be observed that the ladders when extended will be securely bound one to the other. These ladders are extended vertically, successively, the ladder 0 being first extended, then the ladder C and afterward the ladder 0, all the ladders being preferably raised or extended through the medium of a single cable E, which cable is run in the following manner: W'lthin suit able bearing-boxes e, secured to the braces B, works the crank-shaft E, to which shaft I fasten the drums E One end of the cable is made fast to the drum E and the free end thereof is run upward over the pulley 1, secured near the top of one of the side rails of the ladder C, downward under the pulley 2, secured to the lower end of one of the side rails of the ladder O; thence upward over the pulley 3, secured near the top of the same side rail of the ladder O; thence downward under the pulley 4, secured near the bottom of one of the side rails of the ladder 0 from whence it is run upward over the pulley 5, secured near the top of the same side rail; thence downward under the pulley 6, secured near the bottom of one of the side rails of the ladder C, after which the said cable is run across the ladder C and under the pulley 7, secured to the lower end of the opposite side rail of said ladder. The cable is then run upward over the pulley 8, secured near the top of the side rail of the ladder C opposite to pulley 5 and downward under pulley 9, secured to the lower end of said side rail of ladder and upward over pulley 10, secured near the end of the side rail of ladder C, opposite to the pulley 3; thence downward under pulley 11, secured to the lower end of the side rail of said ladder, and thence upward over the pulley 12, secured to the side rail of ladder C, opposite to pulley 1, and from this pulley the cable E is run downward and the free end thereof is connected to the drum E, as shown.

My object in using a single cable, which as in an opposite direction.

wound upon the drums E raises or extends the ladders, is that a uniform tension is maintained and there is no danger of the cable on one side becoming slack while that on the opposite side is taut.

Upon the crank shaft E is secured the ratchet-wheel E, which is engaged by the pawl F, pivoted to one of the brace-rods B. By means of this pawl the ladders may be locked and held at any desired height.

To the bed of the truck, transverse thereof, beneath the oscillating plate A is secured the crank-shaft F to which shaft the oscillating plate is connected by means of the short cables or chains ff, Fig. 4. These cables or chains are so arranged as to wind upon the crank-shaft alternately. As the crank-shaft is turned so as to wind the chain or cable f, the oppositechain oreable is unwound.

This causes the plate A to move downward as the :eable or chain f is wound upon the crankshaft and throw the extended ladder over to that side, while when the cable f is wound upon the crank-shaft and the cable or chain f unwound the extended ladder will be thrown In this manner the ladder is thrown to either side of the street without changing the position of the truck.

When the ladders are lowered and nestled together, they lie directly upon the bed of the truck,or in a horizontal position, and previous to the ladders being extended they are raised to a vertical position. This is accomplished through the medium of the cable If and the guide-support. This support consists of a series of posts or standards so united as to permit of a vertical. extension for a given distance. The post or standard 11 is bolted, screwed, or otherwise secured to the forward edge of the frame 1' In the sides of this standard I cut the groove or channel h, within which groove or channel fits the end of the clamp-plates 11 projecting from the lower end of the standard H The sides of this standard or post have the groove or channel 7r cut therein,within which groove or channel fits the end of the clamp-plates H projecting from the upper end of the standard or post H. These clamp-plates hold the standard or post H firmly secured to the standard or post H. To the standard or post H is secured the standard or post H which is held in place by means of the clamp-plates H and 11 the former of which are secured to and project from the lower end of the standard or post H and work or slide within the groove or channel h, while the clamp-plates H are secured to and project from the upper end of the standard or post H and fit within the groove or channel 72/2 cut in the sides of the post or standard H. To the post or standard H is seen red the post or standard Lby means of the clamp-plates I 1 The clamp-plates 1 project from the lower end of the standard or post I and fit within the grooves or channels 71 while the clamp-plates I project from drum K the cable K The cable H, which raises or extends the guide-support, also raises the closed or nestled ladders from a horizontal to a vertical position. One end of this cable is secured near the upper end of one of the side rails of the ladder O, and the cable is runfrom this ladder over the pulley 13, secured near the upper end of the standard or post I, and under the pulley 14, secured near the lower end of said post or standard, and from this pulley is run upward and over the pulley 15, secured 1 near the upper end of the post or standard II, and is then run downward and under the pulley 16, secured near the lower end of the said standard or post, and from this pulley the cable is run upward and over the pulley 17, secured near the upper end of the standard or post H and thence downward under pulley 18, secured near the lower end of said standard or post, and from this pulley the cable is run upward over pulley 19, secured near the top of standard or post H, and thence downward to the drum K, to which drum the free end is attached. This drum K is fastened to the crankshaft K, which extends transverse of the truck-bed, near its forward end and works in bearings 75. Upon this crankshaft is also located the drum K To this drum is fastened one end of the cable K which cable runs over a pulley K secured to the end piece of the truck-bed, and has its free end attached to the side rail of the ladder O opposite to the cable 11. The drum K is loosely secured upon the crank-shaft K and only rotates therewith when thrown into engagement with the cross-pin k by the clutch 7r, Fig. 2.

The operation of my device is as follows: As the crank-shaft K is rotated, so as to wind the cable II upon the drum K, the guide-support is gradually extended until the posts or standards are raised their full height. As the cable is wound upon the drum K the closed or nestled ladders are gradually raised from a horizontal to a vertical position. WVhen tlie guide-support has been extended its full distance, the closed ladders will extend in a vertical position. The ladders and guidesupport are held in their position by throwing the pawl into engagement with the ratchet-wheel 70 secured to the crankshaft, Fig. 2. As the cable II is wound upon the is unwound from the loose drum K After the ladders have been raised from a horizontal to a vertical position, as described, the ladders are then extended to any desired height by turning the crankshaft E, so as to wind the cable E upon the drums E I11 order to lower the extended ladders, it

is only necessary to release the pawl F, when the ladders will descend by gravity. To prevent the ladders descending too rapidly, I provide the friction-brake L, which, when thrown downward, Fig. 4, bears upon the periphery of the drum E After the ladders have been closed or nestled together they are lowered into a horizontal position by means of the cable K being wound upon the drum K This drum is thrown first into engagement with the pin 70 Then as the crankshaft is rotated, so as to wind the cable K upon the drum K with the rotation of the crank-shaft K, the cable H is gradually unwound from the drum K and the extension guide-support gradually lowered.

The ladders are lowered into a horizontal position by the base-block B swinging over upon its hinged joint B As the base-block is swung over the pin 1) moves within the slot l) of the quadrant 19 -While I have described and designated my invention as a fire-ladder apparatus, I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to such use, for I am aware that the invention may be used for other purposesas, for instance, the erection of scaffolding for building. I am also aware that changes may be made in the arrangement of parts and details of construction herein shown and described without creating a departurefrom my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure protection in by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fire-ladder apparatus, the combina* tion with a series of slidable ladders lying normally in a horizontal position, of a vertical independent collapsible support arranged at one end of the horizontal position of the slidable ladders, mechanism for extending and permitting the collapse of the said support, connections between said support and the ladders whereby when the support is extended the ladders will be raised, means for extending the ladders, means for permitting the collapse of the ladders, and means for returning the ladders to a horizontal position.

2. In a fire-ladder apparatus, the combination with a series of slidable ladders, said ladders when not in use and closed designed to lie in a horizontal position, the extensible guide-support consisting of a series of slidable standards or posts, the clamp-plates for securing the standards or posts one to the other, a series of pulleys secured to the said posts or standards, a cable running over said pulleys, one end of said cable being secured to one of the ladders and the opposite end to a drum, and the crankshaft for rotating said drum so as to wind the cable thereon in order to raise the extensible guide support and throw the ladders from a horizontal into a vertical position.

ICC

3. In a fire-ladder apparatus, the combination with a series of slidable ladders, devices for throwing the ladders from a horizontal to j engagement with the crank-shaft so as to 'ro- IO aVertic-al position mechanism for raisingand j tate therewith and wind the cable thereon. lowering the slidable ladders, a cable having In testimony whereof I affix my signature one end connected to one of the ladders and in presence of two witnesses.

5 its free end to a drum loosely secured upon a crank-shaft, which cable when wound upon NELSON Z. REOM. the drum draws the slidable ladders from a W itnesses-z vertical position into a horizontal position, N. A. ACKER,

and a device for throwing the loose drum into I. S. TATSON. 

